Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Plural physical display element control system – Display elements arranged in matrix
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-28
2001-02-27
Powell, Mark R. (Department: 2672)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Plural physical display element control system
Display elements arranged in matrix
C345S067000, C345S060000, C345S066000, C313S484000, C313S584000, C313S585000, C313S587000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195073
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel, and more particularly, to a plasma display panel with a low firing voltage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The plasma display panel (PDP) has great potential in the big-size flat display market. A prior art plasma display panel requires a high firing voltage to transform an ionizable gas such as argon into a plasma. Driving the plasma display panel at high voltage not only requires expensive driving and control components, but may also damage the components thus shortening their life spans.
Please refer to FIG.
1
.
FIG. 1
is a sectional view of a prior art plasma display panel
10
. The plasma display panel
10
comprises a first substrate
12
and a second substrate
18
positioned in parallel with each other, an ionizable gas
27
filled between the two substrates
12
and
18
, a plurality of first electrodes
26
, a plurality of second electrodes
28
, and a plurality of third electrodes
20
. The first electrodes
26
and the second electrodes
28
are alternately installed in parallel on the first substrate
12
. The third electrodes
20
are installed on the second substrate
18
perpendicular to the first and second electrodes
26
,
28
. The plasma display panel
10
further comprises a dielectric layer
14
installed above the first substrate
12
, a protective layer
16
coated above the dielectric layer
14
, a plurality of fluorescent phosphorus layers
22
installed above the third electrodes
20
for generating fluorescent light, and a plurality of rib
24
installed on the third electrodes
20
for isolating two adjacent fluorescent phosphorus layers
22
.
Each area between one of the third electrodes
20
and a pair of neighboring first and second electrodes
26
,
28
defines a display unit
30
for generating plasma from the ionizable gas
27
in the display unit and driving the plasma. When a high voltage is charged between the first and second electrodes
26
,
28
, the electric field between the two electrodes
26
,
28
causes the electrons of the ionizable gas
27
to ionize thereby generating spatial charges. After the spatial charges are generated, the third electrode
20
interacts with the first electrode
26
or second electrode
28
to generate a plasma and determine if the generated wall charges have a sufficient density to light the plasma. The wall charge density is the critical factor in maintaining the display unit
30
in the bright (on) state or in the dark (off) state. If it is decided not to maintain the display unit
30
in the bright state, the spatial charges of the display unit
30
are quickly restored to normal ionizable gas
27
(non-ionized state). If it is decided to maintain the display unit
30
in the bright state, the first and second electrodes
26
,
28
drive the plasma in the display unit
30
back and forth for continuous radiating ultraviolet rays. When ultraviolet rays are radiated to the fluorescent phosphorus layer
22
, the fluorescence will gleam, and the gleamed light emitted by the display unit
30
will be seen by the user through the transparent substrate
12
.
The first and second electrodes
26
,
28
comprise opaque conductors
261
,
281
made of CrCuCr material and transparent conductors
262
,
282
made of ITO material. The CrCuCr material is highly conductive but is opaque. The ITO material is partially transparent but has higher resistance. The firing voltage of the display unit
30
is related to the distance between the ITO material
262
of the first electrode
26
and the ITO material
282
of the second electrode
28
. Although the transparent conductors
262
,
282
formed by ITO material will absorb part of the visible light and are associated with higher resistance, they can be used for shortening the distance between the first and second electrodes
26
,
28
so as to reduce the firing voltage of the display unit
30
.
Although the first and second electrodes
26
,
28
formed by the CrCuCr and ITO materials reduce the firing voltage of the display unit
30
, the absorption of visible light by the transparent conductors
262
,
282
formed by the ITO material will decrease the brightness of the display, and the resistance of the ITO material will result in a loss of energy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a plasma display panel with a low firing voltage to solve the aforementioned problems.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a plasma generation method of a plasma display panel, the plasma display panel comprising a first substrate and a second substrate positioned in parallel with each other, an ionizable gas filled between the two substrates, and a plurality of first, second, third and fourth electrodes installed on the two substrates, the first and second electrodes being alternately installed in parallel on the first substrate, the third electrodes being installed on the second substrate perpendicular to the first and second electrodes, an area between one of the third electrodes and a pair of neighboring first and second electrodes defining a display unit for generating plasma from the ionizable gas in the display unit and driving the plasma, the third electrode of each display unit being used for determining whether the plasma within the display unit should remain or not, and the first and second electrodes being used for driving the plasma in the display unit back and forth so as to maintain displays of the display unit, each of the fourth electrodes being installed close to each of the first electrodes, the plasma generation method comprising:
step (1) charging a predetermined firing voltage between the first and fourth electrodes to transform the ionizable gas in the display unit into an initial plasma; and
step (2) charging a predetermined voltage between the first and second electrodes for spreading the initial plasma over the display unit.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the distance between each fourth electrode and first electrode of the plasma display panel is much shorter than that between each first electrode and second electrode of the prior art plasma display panel. Thus, the firing voltage of the display unit of the plasma display panel is greatly reduced.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3881129 (1975-04-01), Nakayama et al.
patent: 3952230 (1976-04-01), Sakai
patent: 4914352 (1990-04-01), Gay et al.
patent: 5369338 (1994-11-01), Kim
patent: 5805122 (1998-09-01), Bongaerts et al.
patent: 6020687 (2000-02-01), Hirakawa et al.
Acer Display Technology Inc.
Hsu Winston
Powell Mark R.
Yang Ryan
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